I wondered when Occupy’s actions would move out of public sqaures and into directly confronting the mechanisms of capitalism that working class people depend on — I’m supportive of Occupy, and this kind of push-pull tension in confronting capitalism with direct protest was inevitable. I don’t see easy answers, here; I don’t think there are any.

In the aftermath of the West Coast Port Shutdown on December 12, a debate over tactics has emerged in the Occupy movement. The discussion centers on the role of port workers and Occupy activists’ relationship to them.

The December 12 actions were an important step for the Occupy movement, especially in connecting to the struggle of workers against some of the richest and most powerful corporations around. But the future of the movement depends on Occupy activists adopting strategies and tactics that treat workers on the docks–and everywhere else in the economy–as allies and potential supporters, not as opponents.